PM: Coalition compromise is not always in national interest

David Cameron and Nick Clegg were at loggerheads today after the Prime Minister dramatically admitted the Coalition sometimes fails to act in the national interest.

His comments were interpreted as a strong attack on the Liberal Democrat for blocking tougher counter-terrorism laws, steeper curbs on welfare and crackdowns on immigration.

But Mr Clegg hit back, saying he was proud that his party had resisted the so-called snooper’s charter and torpedoed Tory plans to give employers the power to “fire at will”.

The row could be highly damaging to the image of the Coalition, founded on the idea of “two parties coming together in the national interest”.

At a business leaders’ conference in the Indian capital Delhi, Mr Cameron said he had been forced to compromise to make governing work.

“I would prefer not to have a Coalition,” he told leading Indian broadcaster Rajdeep Sardesai.

“I think what’s bad about it is that sometimes you have to make compromises that are not necessarily in the long-term interests of the country.”

Mr Cameron did not specify what he had in mind. But Conservatives have made no secret of their frustration that Mr Clegg vetoed deeper welfare cuts for under-25s and a cap on migrants.

Tensions have also flared over security policy, especially claims that Tpims — temporary curfews for terror suspects — are too weak because of Lib-Dem worries over human rights.

Mr Clegg hit back on his weekly LBC radio show with Nick Ferrari, saying: “Of course there are compromises made that they don’t like. They wanted to say employers could fire any employee at will, the Liberal Democrats said no you can’t do that. They floated a plan of having profit-making in state schools and we said no.

“We had a bit of a row about the snooper’s charter. I thought it was right for me to say ‘I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s in the national interest to have the snooper’s charter, whatever you Conservatives think.’

“I so happen to think those are things we blocked because it was in the national interest to do so.”

Mr Clegg added: “Of course I understand, he’s the leader of the Conservative party, he doesn’t like having to make those compromises.”

Coalition tensions are rising as the two parties try to advertise their differences in the run-up to election. But some ministers are worried infighting will cause voters to turn away from both.